阅读说明：本技术 多功能支撑组件 (Multifunctional supporting component ) 是由 凯文·勒罗伊·罗斯 艾伦·道格拉斯·格德斯 约翰·马修·布兰农 于 2019-04-19 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种多功能支撑组件,该多功能支撑组件支撑、接地和屏蔽许多不同类型的飞行器系统,并且同时使其上安装支撑组件的飞行器结构稳定。支撑组件包括支撑托盘和多个支撑托架,这些支撑托架附接至支撑托盘并且沿该支撑托盘的长度分隔开。支撑托盘附接至飞行器地板梁或其他飞行器结构,以在为支撑托架提供安装位置的同时使结构稳定。支撑托盘还为飞行器系统提供电磁性和结构性屏蔽,并且为飞行器中的电气和电子部件提供接地路径。支撑托架由电绝缘材料形成,并且附接至支撑托盘,以对支撑托盘下方的多个不同的飞行器系统进行支撑,并且使支撑托盘与飞行器结构电绝缘并使飞行器系统与支撑托盘电绝缘。(A multi-functional support assembly supports, grounds, and shields many different types of aircraft systems while stabilizing the aircraft structure on which the support assembly is mounted. The support assembly includes a support tray and a plurality of support brackets attached to and spaced apart along the length of the support tray. The support tray is attached to an aircraft floor beam or other aircraft structure to stabilize the structure while providing a mounting location for the support tray. The support tray also provides electromagnetic and structural shielding for aircraft systems and provides a ground path for electrical and electronic components in the aircraft. The support tray is formed of an electrically insulating material and is attached to the support tray to support a plurality of different aircraft systems below the support tray and to electrically insulate the support tray from the aircraft structure and the aircraft systems from the support tray.)

1. a multi-functional support assembly, comprising:

an elongated conductive support tray; and

a plurality of electrically insulating support brackets attached to and spaced along the length of the support tray for attaching the support tray to a structure in a vehicle and supporting a vehicle system to the support tray, each support bracket comprising:

an attachment structure for attaching the support bracket to the support tray and the support tray to at least one of the structures in the vehicle; and

a plurality of hardware mounts extending from the support tray and configured to couple with support hardware to which the vehicle system is attachable so as to support the vehicle system with the support tray and electrically insulate the vehicle system from and shield the vehicle system with the support tray.

2. The multi-functional support assembly of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft and the structure in the vehicle is an aircraft floor beam.

3. The multi-functional support assembly of claim 1, wherein the vehicle system is selected from the group consisting of: wiring harnesses, individual wires, conduits, pipes, and conduits.

4. The multi-functional support assembly of claim 1, wherein the support tray includes a horizontally extending central portion and a pair of laterally extending legs on opposite edges of the central portion.

5. The multi-functional support assembly of claim 4, wherein the hardware mount extends through and depends from a central portion of the support tray and is spaced between the legs of the support tray such that the vehicle system attached to the support hardware is protected and shielded by the support tray.

6. The multi-functional support assembly of claim 1, wherein the support hardware is selected from the group consisting of: the device comprises a wire hanger, a branch wire column, a pipeline supporting bracket and a clamp.

7. The multi-functional support assembly of claim 1, wherein the support tray has a length of 1 foot to 60 feet and a width of 12 inches to 20 inches.

8. The multi-functional support assembly of claim 1, wherein each support bracket comprises 5 to 20 hardware mounts spaced 1 to 4 inches apart.

9. The multifunctional support assembly of claim 1, wherein said support bracket is formed of a synthetic resin material.

10. The multi-functional support assembly of claim 1, wherein the support tray is formed of metal.

11. A multi-functional support assembly for supporting an aircraft system on an aircraft structure, the multi-functional support assembly comprising:

a support tray formed of an electrically conductive material and including a central portion and a pair of laterally extending legs on opposite edges of the central portion; and

a plurality of support brackets formed of an electrically insulating material and attached to and spaced apart along a length of the support tray, each support bracket comprising:

a pair of attachment ears, each attachment ear attached to one of the laterally extending legs of the support tray and attaching the support tray and support tray to a plurality of the aircraft structures;

a support link connecting the attachment lug; and

a plurality of hardware mounts depending from the support link, positioned below a central portion of the support tray and between legs of the support tray, the hardware mounts configured to couple with support hardware to which the aircraft system is attachable such that the aircraft system is supported by and shielded by the support tray.

12. The multi-functional support assembly of claim 11, wherein the aircraft structure is an aircraft floor beam.

13. The multi-functional support assembly of claim 11, wherein the aircraft system is selected from the group consisting of: wiring harnesses, individual wires, conduits, pipes, and conduits.

14. The multi-functional support assembly of claim 11, wherein the support hardware includes a wire hanger, a wire support post, a pipe support bracket, and a clamp.

15. The multi-functional support assembly of claim 11, wherein the support tray is formed of metal and has a length of 1 to 60 feet and a width of 12 to 20 inches.

16. The multi-functional support assembly of claim 1, wherein the support brackets are formed of a synthetic resin material and each include 5 to 20 hardware mounts spaced 1 to 4 inches apart.

17. A multi-functional support assembly for supporting an aircraft system on an aircraft structure, the multi-functional support assembly comprising:

an inverted U-shaped support tray formed of an electrically conductive material and comprising:

an elongate central portion having upper and lower surfaces, left and right edges, front and rear edges, and a plurality of rows of apertures extending through the upper and lower surfaces; and

a pair of laterally extending legs depending from left and right edges of the central portion; and

a plurality of support brackets formed of an electrically insulating material and attached to and spaced apart along a length of the support tray, each support bracket comprising:

a pair of attachment ears, each attachment ear attached to one of the laterally extending legs of the support tray and attaching the support tray and support tray to one of the structures in the aircraft;

a support link connecting the attachment lug and attached to an upper surface of the central portion of the support tray; and

a plurality of hardware mounts depending from the support link and extending through the apertures in the support tray for coupling with support hardware to which the aircraft system is attachable such that the aircraft system is supported by and shielded by the support tray.

18. The multi-functional support assembly of claim 17, wherein the aircraft structure is an aircraft floor beam.

19. The multi-functional support assembly of claim 17, wherein the aircraft system comprises a wiring harness, individual wires, conduits, pipes, and conduits.

20. The multi-functional support assembly of claim 17, wherein the support hardware includes a wire hanger, a wire support post, a pipe support bracket, and a clamp.

Technical Field

The application relates to a multifunctional support assembly and a multifunctional system support tray.

Background

Aircraft include a number of wiring harnesses, conduits, lines, pipes, and other aircraft systems that are typically suspended from or attached to aircraft floor beams or other aircraft structures. As aircraft systems vary in shape and size, they must typically be supported by various brackets, straps, cable ties, or other attachment devices that are each uniquely designed for the respective aircraft system. Unfortunately, designing, manufacturing, and installing such a variety of disparate attachment devices increases the cost, complexity, and weight of the aircraft.

Aircraft also typically include a number of electrical and electronic devices that must be grounded. This typically requires many unique ground straps, wires or cables, which further increases the cost, complexity and weight of the aircraft. As such, aircraft wiring and other power and signal propagating devices typically require electromagnetic and structural shielding, requiring many disparate shields, which further increases the cost, complexity, and weight of the aircraft.

Another related problem is the need to stabilize certain aircraft structures, such as floor beams, from "flipping" or otherwise becoming dislodged or damaged. This also requires many disparate stabilizing strips, discontinuity elements, and other devices, further increasing the cost, complexity, and weight of the aircraft.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention solves the above problems and represents a significant advance in the art of aircraft design and assembly by reducing the number of disparate devices required to support, ground and shield aircraft systems and to stabilize aircraft structures.

An embodiment of the present invention is an adaptive multi-function support assembly that simultaneously performs the functions of a variety of different attachment means, grounding means, shields and stabilizing means while providing additional benefits that none of the prior art devices individually or in combination provide. Embodiments of the support assembly broadly include a support tray and a plurality of support brackets attached to and spaced apart along the length of the support tray.

The support tray performs several important functions. First, the support tray provides a mount for the support bracket, which in turn provides a mounting location for a wiring harness, individual wires, conduits, pipes, ducts, or any other number of different types of hardware to which an aircraft system may be attached. Second, the support tray provides electromagnetic and structural shielding for aircraft systems attached to the support tray. And third, the support tray provides a ground path for electrical and electronic components in the aircraft.

Similarly, the support bracket performs several important functions. First, these support brackets attach the support tray to an aircraft floor beam or other aircraft structure to both support the support tray and stabilize the structure. And second, these support brackets provide a mount for the attachment of wiring harnesses, individual wires, conduits, pipes, ducts, or any other number of different types of support hardware to which aircraft systems may be attached.

Embodiments of the support tray are formed of an electrically conductive material, such as metal, and include an elongated central portion and a pair of laterally extending legs depending from opposite edges of the central portion. A plurality of rows of apertures extend through the upper and lower surfaces of the central portion for receiving the support brackets described above.

The support brackets are formed of an electrically insulating material, such as plastic, and each includes a pair of attachment ears connected by a support link. The attachment lugs are attached to the laterally extending legs of the support tray and attach the support tray to an aircraft floor beam or other structure. The support bracket also includes a plurality of gimbal hardware mounts depending from the support links and extending through apertures in the support tray for coupling and attachment with the support hardware below the support tray. The aircraft systems may then be attached to the support hardware such that they are supported by and shielded by the support tray.

The support assembly described above may be used to support, ground and shield many different types of aircraft systems without the need for a large number of disparate attachment devices, grounding devices and shields. The support assembly also stabilizes the support structure on which the aircraft system is mounted without requiring a plurality of disparate stabilizing devices. The support brackets formed of plastic or similar material also provide a corrosion neutral barrier between the metal support tray and the support structure to which it is attached, and between the metal support tray and the aircraft systems supported by the support tray.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

Embodiments of the invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a support assembly constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, shown installed under a floor beam of an aircraft and shown supporting a plurality of different aircraft systems.

Fig. 2 is an exploded partial perspective view of a support assembly and several types of support hardware to be attached to the support assembly.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the support assembly with the support tray of the support assembly shown in phantom to expose the support hardware and aircraft systems below the support tray.

Fig. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the support assembly and support hardware attached thereto.

Fig. 5 is an elevation view of a support assembly shown attached to an aircraft floor beam.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 of fig. 5.

FIG. 7 is an elevation view of the support assembly shown with support hardware and aircraft systems.

FIG. 8 is a top perspective view of one of the support brackets of the support assembly.

Fig. 9 is a bottom perspective view of one of the support brackets of the support assembly.

The drawings are not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed and described herein.

The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The multifunctional support assembly constructed in accordance with embodiments of the present invention supports, grounds, and shields wiring harnesses, individual wires, conduits, pipes, conduits, or any other aircraft system while stabilizing the support structure on which the aircraft system is mounted. The support assembly can be easily adapted to accommodate virtually any aircraft design and thus provide a substantially uniform solution for supporting, grounding, shielding and stabilizing aircraft systems. The support assembly also provides a corrosion neutral barrier between its metal support tray and the support structure to which it is attached, and between the metal support tray and the aircraft system that the support tray supports.

Specific embodiments of the support assembly will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. As best shown in fig. 1, a support assembly 10 constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention may be attached to an aircraft floor beam 12 or other aircraft structure, and may support a plurality of different aircraft systems 14 to the aircraft structure. As best shown in fig. 2, an embodiment of the support assembly 10 broadly includes a support tray 16 and a plurality of support brackets 18 attached to and spaced apart along the length of the support tray.

The support tray 16 provides a mount for the support bracket 18, which in turn provides a mounting location for a wire harness, individual wires, conduits, pipes, conduits, or any other number of different types of support hardware 20 to which the aircraft system 14 may be attached. The support tray also provides electromagnetic and structural shielding for aircraft systems and provides a ground path for electrical and electronic components in the aircraft.

The support tray 16 is formed of a conductive material, such as metal, and may be of any shape and size. For many aircraft applications, the support tray is formed from sheet metal alloy and is sized for the electrical and structural load requirements of the application.

As best shown in fig. 2 and 4, one embodiment of the support tray 16 includes an elongated central portion 22 having left and right edges 24, 26, front and rear edges 28, 30, and upper and lower surfaces 32, 34. The support tray 16 further includes a pair of laterally extending legs 36, 38 depending from the left and right edges 24, 26 of the central portion 22 such that the support tray has the general shape of an inverted U. In one embodiment, the legs 36, 38 are formed at a right angle relative to the central portion 22 and are approximately 2-12 "high.

The support tray 16 further includes a plurality of apertures 40 through the central portion 22 thereof for receiving the support brackets 18, as discussed in more detail below. The apertures 40 may be formed in rows spaced between the front and rear edges 28, 30 of the support tray 16, each row extending between the left and right edges 24, 26 of the support tray. As discussed in more detail below, each row of apertures provides a mount for one of the support brackets 18.

Fig. 2 shows only a short section of the support assembly 10 with a single row of apertures 40, but any number of rows of apertures, each row having any number of apertures, may be provided. In one embodiment, the rows are spaced 1 to 5 feet apart and each row contains 2 to 20 orifices.

The support brackets 18 attach the support tray 10 to the aircraft floor beams 12 or other aircraft structure while stabilizing the structure. The support brackets 18 also provide a mount for support hardware 20 to which the aircraft systems 14 may be attached.

The support bracket 18 is formed of an electrically insulating material, such as plastic, and may be attached to the upper surface of the support tray 16 by rivets, adhesives, or fasteners, or the like. As best shown in fig. 8 and 9, each support bracket 18 includes a pair of attachment ears 42, 44 or other attachment structures connected by a support link 46. Attachment ears 42, 44 each have a vertically extending section 48 and a horizontally extending section 50. The vertically extending section 48 overlaps and attaches to the legs 36, 38 of the support tray 16 to attach the support bracket to the support tray. A horizontally extending section 50 is attached to the underside of the aircraft structure 12 to connect the support tray to the aircraft structure.

An embodiment of the support link 46 has spaced apart upper and lower sections 52, 54 separated by a gap 56. Other embodiments of the support link may be a single piece without gaps. The support link 46 also has a plurality of gimbaled hardware mounts 58 that depend from the lower section 54 and extend through the apertures 40 in the support tray 16. The hardware mounts 58 each have an internally threaded shaft or other attachment structure for receiving a bolt, screw or other fastener 60 that attaches the support hardware 20 to the mount. The support link 46 may also have intermediate attachment wings 62 that serve as additional attachment points for securing the support bracket under the floor beam or other aircraft structure.

The support assembly 10, the support hardware 20, and the aircraft systems 14 supported thereby may be installed as follows. First, the support tray 16 and support bracket 18 are attached to the aircraft floor beam 12 or other aircraft structure. This may be accomplished by screws, adhesives, or other fasteners applied between the attachment ears 42, 44, and 62 of the support brackets and the floor beam or other structure. The support brackets 18 not only mount the support assemblies 10 to the floor beams 12, but also anchor the floor beams to one another so that they are not prone to tipping or otherwise becoming dislodged or damaged.

In some embodiments, the support tray 16 is positioned and attached such that its central portion 22 is substantially horizontal or parallel to the floor of the aircraft, and its legs 36, 38 are substantially vertical. In other embodiments, the support tray 16 may be mounted such that its central portion 22 extends vertically or at any angle relative to the aircraft floor.

The support hardware 20 is then fastened to the hardware mounts 58 of the rack 18 by screws, bolts, or other fasteners 60. The support hardware 20 may include wire hangers, wire support posts, pipe support brackets, clamps, or any other hardware to which the aircraft system may be attached such that the aircraft system is supported by the support tray and shielded thereunder. Since the support brackets each have a plurality of spaced apart hardware mounts, almost any type of support hardware can be attached to the hardware mounts in almost any combination. For example, a single wire hanger may be attached to each hardware mount 58 so that all hardware mounts are used. Alternatively, several of the hardware mounts 58 may be used for larger tow mounts, even not at all, to accommodate aircraft system spacing requirements. A designer or installer can configure support assembly 10 to support virtually any combination of aircraft systems in a myriad of ways.

The above steps may be performed in a different order. For example, the support assembly 10, the support hardware 20, and the aircraft system may be pre-assembled together and then brought to the aircraft and attached to the floor beams 12 or other aircraft structure.

Finally, aircraft systems 14, such as wiring harnesses, individual wires, conduits, pipes, tubes, etc., are attached to the support hardware 20 such that the aircraft systems are supported, shielded, and potentially grounded by the support tray 16. Such as control boxes, valves, etc.

The support assembly 10 described above provides a number of advantages. For example, the support assembly supports, grounds, and shields many different types of aircraft systems 14 without requiring a large number of unique and disparate attachment devices, grounding devices, and shields. The support assembly also stabilizes the support structure 12 on which the aircraft system 14 is mounted without requiring multiple unique and disparate stabilizing devices. The support bracket 18, which is formed of plastic or similar material, also inhibits corrosion by providing a corrosion neutral barrier between the metal support tray 16 and the support structure 12 to which it is attached, and between the metal support tray and the aircraft systems 14 supported by the support tray.

Other considerations

In this specification, reference to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," or "embodiments" means that the feature or features referred to is/are included in at least one embodiment of the technology. Separate references to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," or "embodiments" in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, and are not mutually exclusive, unless so stated and/or other than as would be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the specification. For example, features, structures, acts, etc. described in one embodiment may also be included (but are not necessarily included) in other embodiments. Accordingly, the present technology may include a wide variety of combinations and/or integrations of the embodiments described herein.

Although this application sets forth a detailed description of numerous different embodiments, the legal scope of the description is defined by the words of the claims set forth at the end of this patent and their equivalents. The detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment since describing every possible embodiment would be impractical. Numerous alternative embodiments could be implemented, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims. For example, although embodiments of the support assemblies described in detail herein are particularly well suited for use in aircraft, other embodiments may be configured for use in other vehicles (e.g., boats, trucks, and automobiles) to support, shield, and ground vehicle systems, and stabilize structures in such vehicles.

The plural may implement components, operations, or structures described as singular throughout the specification. Although individual operations of one or more methods are illustrated and described as separate operations, one or more of the individual operations may be performed concurrently and nothing requires that the operations be performed in the order illustrated. Structures and functions presented as separate components in the exemplary configurations may be implemented as a combined structure or component. Likewise, structures and functionality presented as a single component may be implemented as separate components. These and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvements fall within the scope of the subject matter herein.

As used herein, the terms "comprising," "including," "containing," "having," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

The patent claims at the end of this patent application should not be construed in accordance with 35u.s.c. § 112(f), unless conventional means plus functional language is expressly recited, such as "means for.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, it should be noted that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Having thus described a number of different embodiments of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by letters patent includes the following: